Articles
If you’re one of those attorneys who frantically check the lotto numbers each week to find out if you can finally be free, Monica Parker’s new book will provide you with alternatives.
I’d like to think that once we find the right home, most lawyers find real satisfaction in the work we do. After all, we’re part of a very small and elite class of individuals who are fortunate enough to have been accepted as members of the Bar. Unfortunately, my own personal survey of friends and colleagues often tells a different story. Though there are some who have found their niche, there are as many or more who seem to be on a continuous and seemingly unending search for career satisfaction.
Until a recent publication, there weren’t many roadmaps or guides to help unhappy lawyers chart out their paths. Thankfully, Monica R. Parker, a “former lawyer turned life coach” saw the need and found a way to fill it. Unhappy Lawyer: A Roadmap to Finding Meaningful Work Outside of the Law, authored by Monica R. Parker, is specifically written for lawyers who believe that there might be something more than the legal practice in their future.
This book is a phenomenal resource, with the perfect blend of realism and humor. Best of all, it doesn’t just offer lofty notions about career options that are out there. Instead, it helps readers chart a specific course to reach their goals. First, the author helps readers discern between periodic burnout and something more. For instance, you might want to keep reading if every Sunday has become a countdown to the dreaded start of a new work week! Second, unlike many other career guides, it does more than just identify the problem. Unhappy Lawyer offers exercises and resources to help readers identify the right career, in or out of the legal profession. Third, once you’ve identified some possibilities, the book walks you through how to thoroughly explore them, through informational interviews and other means. Fourth, the author deals with the nitty gritty mechanics of walking away from a six-figure salary – from managing the debt that holds some lawyers hostage to budgeting for your career change. Fifth, Unhappy Lawyer holds your hand as you take the leap of faith, talking you through your fears and helping you work against your natural propensity as a lawyer to be risk averse. Finally, my personal favorite part, is that each section includes real life stories of those who have found their purpose outside of the law. These are stories of inspiration because they show that it can be done.
In sum, if you’re one of those attorneys who frantically check the lotto numbers each week to find out if you can finally be free, or if you’ve been waiting on the light bulb moment to show you what you were really meant to do, I highly recommend Unhappy Lawyer: A Roadmap to Finding Meaningful Work Outside of the Law, available on amazon.com and in bookstores. It has better odds than the lotto, and it could very well inspire the light bulb you’ve been waiting on for so long.
Parker, Monica, The Unhappy Lawyer: A Roadmap to Finding Meaningful Work Outside of the Law, Sphinx Publishing, July 2008
